Description of Prior Art
Tobacco pipes are well known in the art. Pipes generally include a receptacle adapted to receive a measured amount of tobacco and a stem piece which is hollow and has an end conveniently held in the mouth of the user. Another end of the stem is connectable to the receptacle so that, being in fluid communication with the receptacle, is capable of transmitting the products of combustion of the tobacco burned in the receptacle to the mouth of the user. The stem of a tobacco pipe can be, if desired, adjusted in length. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 33,225; 191,544; and 3,863,649 describe tobacco pipes, the stems of which include telescopically moveable members which are capable of telescopic sliding one within the other for reasons of length adjustment of the stem. These telescoping stems, however, do not constitute supporting or holding structures for pipes, but quite to the contrary, are integral to the pipes, and cannot be removed from the tobacco pipe without impeding the pipe to serve the purposes intended.
Cigar or cigarette holders are also known in the art. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 645,399 is directed to a cigar or cigarette holder which is formed by a plurality of tubular sections which are telescopingly joined. The telescoping arrangement of tubes is intended to carry the smoke from the burning tobacco to the user's mouth, thereby influencing the process, and therefore does not define a mere handle or mere support for the cigarette (or a cigar) which would extend in spaced relation with a passage for product of tobacco combustion, without any interference with the smoking process.
It is sometimes desirable for a pipe smoker to have an extendable holder for a tobacco pipe which may be removably integrated into the pipe in order to reach a remote location. For instance, if the pipe smoker was injured, and thereby experiences movement difficulties, he (or she) would need an extendable holder for the pipe which would facilitate the user to reach an ash tray located at a remote distance for removing ash from the pipe. This holder must constitute a separate device capable of being removable attached to a tobacco pipe, cigar, or cigarette without interfering with inherent smoke passages of tobacco products.